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Making Waves in and around Norfolk

For more than 300 years, the sea has sustained and romanced the Norfolk area. In the wide wake of U.S. Navy warships, foreign merchant ships, fishing vessels, and weekend pleasure craft, visitors to Norfolk and the surrounding cities of Portsmouth, Hampton, and Newport News will find a progressive region on the move, featuring many military-oriented museums and exciting new attractions as the area maintains its ever-gracious hospitality and charm.

Norfolk is visitor-friendly, as tourists can enjoy following self-guiding signs at a leisurely pace to the city's attractions within a one-mile radius. For the tenderfoot and walk-weary, a trolley runs from May through September every hour on the hour and stops at each attraction.

Visitors discover $23.5 million Waterside as a delightful place to begin and end any visit to Norfolk. The recently-expanded festival marketplace now offers almost 150 shops along the waterfront. Culinary delights abound here, ranging from homemade fudge prepared by musical chefs to fresh, succulent seafood.

Outside, a brick promenade leads to The Waterside Marina. During warm months, people gather for music, dancing, and a moonlight stroll on the pier. From the promenade, tourists and locals enjoy ferries and harbor tours on a variety of vessels: the "Carrie B," a Mississippi-styled paddle wheeler; the "American Rover," a three-masted schooner; the "Norfolk Rebel," the first-of-its-kind sailing tugboat; and the "Spirit of Norfolk," the largest cruise ship in Virginia, offering lunch, dinner, and moonlight cruises.

Town Point Park, a 6.5-acre waterfront park next to The Waterside, hosts more than 200 free events each year. These fun-filled affairs include weekly TGIF parties, Norfolk's annual Harborfest celebration, the Virginia Wine Festival, Oktoberfest, the Bluebeard Pirate Jamboree, and the Summer Family Movie Series.

The new Waterside Convention Center and adjacent Waterside Marriott Hotel shine as two of the newest gems in the Norfolk crown of attractions. The $52 million complex offers weekend visitors upscale accommodations and amenities. Located just one block from Norfolk's working harbor, the convention center and 405-room Marriott connect to The Waterside festival marketplace.

Beyond Town Point Park, travelers can head to $40 million Nauticus, a premier maritime attraction that just opened in 1993. The three-level, 120,000-square-foot facility features one-of-a-kind interactive exhibits, allowing visitors to undertake an adventure in marine discovery.

The Douglas MacArthur Memorial presents the perfect opportunity to reflect on World War II and the role played by this controversial war hero. Norfolk's registered 1850 courthouse has become the final resting place for General MacArthur. This fine old building houses 11 galleries of memorabilia tracing the life and military career of the general, including surrender documents signed by Japanese Emperor Hirohito. Visitors will also find the general's trademark corncob pipe and even his official limousine, a 1950 Chrysler Crown Imperial. A newly-renovated theater shows a 22-minute film featuring historic action clips during the general’s life.

Like General MacArthur, Walter P. Chrysler Jr. adopted Norfolk as his home. The automobile heir gave the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences his magnificent and extensive art collection in 1971. Renamed the Chrysler Museum, the museum showcases the works of masters, from Cezanne to Warhol, as well as many other world-famous works of art.

The Norfolk Naval Base is home port to more than 125 ships, 50 aircraft squadrons, and 65 shore-based military activities. It opened in 1917, on 474 acres, and has grown extensively to 5,200 sprawling acres, playing a major role in the history of the military and becoming the U.S. Navy's capital. The base is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area.

Norfolk Naval Base tour tickets and bus departures are available at Norfolk's Waterside from March to December and at the Naval Base Tour Office year-round. Base personnel conduct the excellent tours on and off the tour buses, providing an insider's view of the base.

Tour highlights include the massive ships along the waterfront; the huge drydocks; the historic houses on Dillingham and Willoughby Boulevards (built for the Jamestown Exposition in 1907); and the major military facilities throughout the base.

The fleet located along the waterfront is awe-inspiring, including various aircraft carriers, submarines, cruisers, destroyers, amphibious ships, and a variety of support and logistic ships. The base is homeport to two classes of attack submarines (Sturgeon and Los Angeles), as well as conventional and nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and the embarked air wing steam with a victorious "V" following Operation Desert Storm.

Each year, thousands of arrivals and departures occur at the base, carrying military personnel and cargo to and from destinations all over the world. Several times each year, the station also hosts ships and sailors of foreign navies making ports of call in Hampton Roads.

The historic houses on Dillingham and Willoughby Boulevards were built in 1907 for the Jamestown Exposition, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the English settlement in Jamestown. Contingents from 21 states built structures representing their individual architecture in the early-1900s. In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill allowing the U.S. Navy to purchase the property and maintain the stately homes.

Other popular pursuits in Norfolk include: The Hermitage Foundation Museum, a Tudor-style mansion that now features Chinese tomb figures and relics from Czar Alexander's private collection; the d'Art Center, welcoming visitors to view sculptors, painters, jewelry makers, and textile artists as they work; the Virginia Zoological Park; the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the host of the International Azalea Festival each April; and performances by the Virginia Symphony and the Virginia State Company.

Over in Portsmouth, more military history awaits. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum was established in 1949 in the shipyard and was later moved to its current waterfront site, successfully improving visitation.

This comprehensive museum covers local and naval history, from pre-Civil War times to modern events. It is packed to the rafters with displays and artifacts from the history of a centuries-old southern port, deserving hours of wandering among the exhibits.

There are many ship models and artifacts relating to the armed forces of the area. There are also exhibits portraying the lifestyle of 18th- and 19th-century Portsmouth. It's a virtual sea of naval history.

Just around the corner, visitors are drawn to the bright red Lightship Museum, which is not a typical location for a museum. In addition to standard lighthouses, lightships (with lights fixed to their masts) were used to help mariners avoid dangerous shoals or enter harbors safely at night.

This museum (the lightship Portsmouth), has been restored to its condition when it was commissioned in 1915. Visitors can board the vessel to see how the men of the Lightship Service lived during their many months at sea.

It's only natural that the Hampton and Newport News area should also have so much military heritage to explore. The large past and present armed forces presence in such a small space means those interested in military history have lots to see.

Well-situated on a strategic peninsula, the Hampton/Newport News region has been home to many military bases, huge shipbuilding facilities, and as a port of embarkation and debarkation for troops throughout American history. Much of this history can be explored today, with many museums and sightseeing possibilities.

The War Memorial Museum of Virginia provides a unique look at the state's role in this and other conflicts. The saga of military history unfolds inside this fascinating museum, with more than 50,000 artifacts on display which document American wars from 1775 to the present.

Since 1923, the high-quality displays in this museum have drawn military history buffs from around the world. Popular items include an 1883 brass Gatling Gun, the Dachau Concentration Camp wall, a WWI Renault Char I tank, and a Civil War blockade runner's uniform. There are hundreds of other uniforms, insignias, vehicles, weapons, and accoutrements. The museum also offers many unusual items related to America's wartime efforts.

You could spend an entire day in the War Memorial Museum of Virginia, but the area has many more museums awaiting. One of the best is the U.S. Army Transportation Museum. Located on Ft. Eustis in Newport News, the U.S. Army Transportation Museum examines more than 200 years of Army transportation history. The indoor and outdoor displays are often awe-inspiring, from miniature models to huge actual vehicles, aircraft, trains, and marine craft from yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

If all of these vehicles make you want to go for a ride, head out for a Newport News Harbor Cruise. This fascinating look at the area leaves from Wharton's Wharf and features a tour around Hampton Roads Harbor. Military buffs will enjoy a unique look at bustling Newport News Shipyard, where the giant aircraft carriers and submarines are being built.

Then the tour boat heads across to the Norfolk Naval Base, for a look at the sleek nuclear submarines, carriers, cruisers, support, and supply vessels and ships from around the world. The two-hour trip includes an interesting narration.

After the boat ride, there's still much more military history to explore. One fascinating possibility is the Casemate Museum on Ft. Monroe. The construction of Ft. Monroe began in 1819 and was completed in 1934. Sometimes called the "Gibralter of the Chesapeake Bay," it is the largest stone fort ever built in the country and is the only moat-encircled fort still used by the Army.

The Casemate Museum opened in 1951 to display the cell in which Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, was imprisoned after the Civil War. The museum has since been expanded to depict the history of Ft. Monroe and the Coast Artillery Crops. Located in the low-ceilinged casemates designed to house seacoast artillery, exhibits include weapons, uniforms, models, drawings, and old living quarters.

The Hampton/Newport News area includes many other fascinating sightseeing possibilities for those interested in the area's military presence. For instance, the Virginia Air & Space Museum and the Hampton Roads History Center features ten air and space craft suspended from the 94-foot ceiling, the official Visitor Center for NASA Langley Research Center, and an in-depth look at the history of the area.

Also in Hampton, the Air Power Park & Museum reveals the vital role the area has played in early space exploration and aircraft testing. Outside exhibits include many jets, spacecraft, and missiles. Inside exhibits include a model wind tunnel, model aircraft, and aviation "firsts" for the area.

The military presence in the area has been greatly influenced by the ocean. The Mariners' Museum in Newport News has many displays related to the military at sea.

The propellor from the USS South Dakota guides visitors to the museum, where they'll find many naval displays, including the William Francis Gibbs Gallery, a world-famous ship designer responsible for many military crafts. Another popular area is the Monitor Exhibit: Clash of Armor and The Monitor Collection, depicting the battle of ironclads.

From Norfolk to Portsmouth to Hampton Road and Newport News, the entire area has played a vital role in America's military past and today's active military presence and many museums mean it will continue to do so. For military buffs, the Norfolk area is a mecca.

For more information about the Norfolk area, contact the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau, 236 E. Plume Street, Norfolk, VA 23510, 804-441-1852 or 800-368-3097 or the Portsmouth Convention & Visitors Bureau, 505 Crawford St., Ste. 2, Portsmouth, VA 23704; 804-393-5327 or 800 PORTS VA. For further information about the Hampton/Newport News area, contact the Newport News Tourism Development Office, 50 Shoe Lane, Newport News, VA 23606, (804) 594-7475 or (800) 333-7787 or the Hampton Department of Conventions & Tourism, 2 Eaton St., Hampton, VA 23669, (804) 722-1222 or (800) 487-8778.

SIDEBAR

Virginia (Beach) is for Lovers

Just like each grain of sand is distinctively different, a visit to Virginia Beach can be different for every visitor. But for everyone Virginia Beach is definitely for lovers of beaches. Images of the seaside, sand, beach blankets, sand castles, beach balls, suntan oil, watersports, and much more become reality for Virginia Beach bums.

At 28 miles, Virginia Beach is the Atlantic Coast's longest run of resort beach. It's just a short trip from Norfolk International Airport. This most popular stretch of sand in the Old Dominion always has something new to offer the visitor. Now, the newest attraction at Virginia Beach is literally the new beach.

"Operation Big Beach" resulted in almost three miles of newer, bigger, and better beach from 10th to 48th Street. This addition just makes the fine-grained sand even more inviting. Those who aren't on the bigger beach are often on the new and lively boardwalk running parallel to it.

The sand and surf serve as Virginia Beach's major attractions, but there's lots more to do in this resort area. Beach lovers are often interested in the Virginia Beach Maritime Historical Museum. Located right on the boardwalk at 24th Street, the building was originally a U.S. Life-Saving/Coast Guard Station.

Today, the museum houses interesting nautical artifacts, scrimshaw, ship models, photographs, marine memorabilia, and a great gift shop for those who want to take a little bit of the Atlantic home with them. Make sure to check out the Norwegian Lady Statue nearby, which commemorates the tragic wreck of the "Dictator" off the shores of Virginia Beach in 1891.

The Virginia Marine Science Museum is another big lure. The state's most-visited museum features more than 100,000 gallons of aquaria, 60 hands-on exhibits, an outdoor boardwalk, and a new IMAX theater. Other Virginia Beach highlights include: the Association for Research and Enlightenment (international headquarters for the work of the best-documents psychic in modern times, Edgar Cayce); the Virginia Beach Farmer's Market; Ocean Breeze Fun Park; and the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Saltwater lovers should also consider an oceanfront cruise or deep-sea fishing. The boats leave from marinas at Rudee or Lynnhaven Inlet. Afterwards, enjoy the fresh catch at one of the many popular seafood restaurants in the area.

Accommodations abound in the Virginia Beach vicinity, from luxurious beachfront resorts to inexpensive inns off the main drag. It's best to make reservations during special events, like the Boardwalk Art Show, the Neptune Festival, or Norfolk's Harborfest.

But the Virginia Beach area doesn't have a monopoly on Virginia beach fun. There are lots of other options along Virginia's miles of coastline. Nearby, check out quieter Sandbridge, Grandview, Buckroe, or Ocean View. Outdoors lovers should head to undeveloped False Cape State Park (five miles south of Sandbridge) or Seashore State Park and Natural Area, Virginia's most visited state park at Cape Henry in Virginia Beach.

For an even more unique Virginia beach experience, head across one of the world's great engineering feats, the 17-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, where another world of beaches and life await along the Eastern Shore. The islands of Chincoteague and Assateague offer the beach lover many miles of solitary sand. There are more than forty miles of unspoiled beach, lots of wildlife, and a real sense of beach life from Virginia's distant past.

Though much more sedate than many resort beaches, there's lots to do on and near the islands. Nature lovers should explore Chincoteague National Refuge or Assateague National Seashore. Others will discover the decorative wildfowl carvings in the quaint shops, as well as the oyster and wildfowl museums.

Just about the only time these two islands see large crowds is during a festival and then it's the more the merrier. Of course, everyone should see the annual Fireman's Pony Swim and Carnival in July. But seafood lovers should also check out Chincoteague's seafood festival in May or the Oyster Festival in October.

Over on the Chesapeake Bay side, Cape Charles offers old-time beach town life, with working watermen and old Victorian homes offering quaint lodging. The small beach at Cape Charles is ideal for quiet strolls.

Thus, Virginia Beach and others beaches nearby offer a great addition to the exploration of military secrets in the Norfolk area. You're sure to love both. Contact the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau at 2101 Parks Avenue, Suite 500, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, 804-437-4700 or 800-VA BEACH.

*Lynn Seldon is a Virginia native, a Virginia Military Institute graduate, and a former U.S. Army officer.